Why dentists get paid big bucks

[minx]

First off, you have to have your hands in people's mouths (some of whom seem to not know what a toothbrush was made for) all day long.

That alone should warrant a larger payday.

Then you have patients like my youngest.  Terrified of needles and therefore the dentist.

They are very nice people - gave her nitrous oxide, and had headphones so she could listen to her own tunes while her tooth was extracted.
She fell asleep during the work, and when she woke up, was a little dizzy from the gas.  She was confused and had a minor panic attack.
Assistant got the dentist, who came in and talked with her for a minute and then said he was going to sit her up so she got better blood flow - he did and she promptly barfed all over him.

So yeah - this is why my flexible spending account has been drained.  I have to compensate people for my barfing kid

(She's okay BTW, and said the staff couldn't have been nicer - dentist told her it happens all the time and apologized profusely for her discomfort)

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Denver is trying to sell her dental practice. She is down to 2 days a week plus emergencies because the stress on her back, neck, and hands. She got a part time job at Wegmans as a night stocker and loves it. I guess no one has barfed on here there, either.

[minx]

Hadn't thought about it before, but I can see where it would take a physical toll on your body.

Daughter is an ASL interpreter - she said that most of them develop carpal tunnel or tendonitis from the constant use of their hands and arms.

And when I broke my arm, there was a guy in PT with me who was a Frito-Lay driver who had severe back and hip issues from stocking. He said it was from all the squatting and reaching from arranging and fluffing the bags on the shelves. I will say that I never looked at chips the same after that, and I sometimes find myself fluffing bags in his honor